Survey: Shutdown wrong, GOP to blame

A new national poll shows an American public overwhelmingly opposed to shutting down the government, or holding the federal debt ceiling hostage, as part of Congressional Republicans’ effort to block the Affordable Care Act from taking effect.

By a margin of 72-22 percent, the Quinnipiac University poll found the public not wanting a government shutdown, and by 64-27 percent opposed to holding up an increase in the debt ceiling as a political cudgel to block Obamacare.

House Speaker John Boehner, Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and other Republican House leaders. Polls show the American public blames them for causing the government shutdown.

“Americans are certainly not in love with Obamacare, but they reject decisively the claim by Congressional Republicans that it is so bad that it’s worth closing down the government to stop it,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

“On almost all questions, voters see President Obama as more reasonable and better able to handle the issues,” Brown added.

The poll interviewed 1,497 adult Americans between September 23 and 29. It has a low margin of error, 2.5 percent. Its findings include:

–55 percent of those surveyed blame gridlock in Washington, D.C., as a product of Republicans’ effort to block President Obama’s proposals at every turn. Just 33 percent credited the impasse to lack of skill on the President’s part.

–Americans remain split on the Affordable Care Act. Forth-five percent support the 2010 law, while 47 percent said they oppose it.

–President Obama is trusted more than Republicans in Congress when it comes to handling a variety of issues. The public prefers Obama 47-42 percent on managing the economy. He leads 47-38 percent on health care, and 51-38 percent on helping the middle class. Only on the deficit are the two camps essentially tied: 43 percent prefer Obama, 42 percent prefer Congressional Republicans.

–Republicans support the government shutdown by a 49-44 percent margin. Ninety percent of Democrats are opposed, and Independent voters oppose the shutdown by a 74-19 percent margin.

–Democrats have moved out to a nine point, 43-34 percent, lead in a “generic” ballot of which party’s candidates for Congress voters are inclined to support.